P0011 - 07 Cayman base - diagnosing suggestions requested.

My 07 base Cayman has been running pretty well this last 4 months of driving (about 5k miles with me) until last week when a CEL appeared, coinciding with some intermittent hesitation from the engine. I checked the code with my NT530 and it’s a P0011 – A camshaft Position – System Performance Bank 1. At the time I cleared the code and it came back again on the next drive to work. The weather here in KC has been pretty miserable the last couple of weeks and the snow and salt was all starting to melt and get slushy etc so I suspected the perhaps some muck had gotten into the plug at the cam position solenoid which is in the side of the head adjacent to one of the coils and right next to the passenger side wheel. On the weekend I removed the wheel to have a look and clean up the area (seemingly unnecessary as it was all surprisingly clean, despite the driving conditions lately). I removed the solenoid and screen and swapped in the solenoid and screen from my crashed (and being parted out) 06 Boxster S . After replacement and clearing the codes I still have the occasional hesitation that I feel under acceleration but the CEL is (for the moment) not appearing again. Apparently there is a cam position sensor somewhere, but I cannot find any reference to it in the manuals outside of the wiring diagram, does anyone know where that sensor is? I am going to be doing an oil and filter change this week when my filter arrives, think I’ll also remove the sump plate in case I see chain guide plastic but the cam deviation values are fine at idle so I don’t suspect an issue there. I am also going to be fitting a new battery this week though I don’t suspect that to be an issue affecting this. Any ideas on diagnosing further? Cheers, Julian

FYI link to thread with the aforementioned wiring referencing "camshaft sensor plug " number 13 - Planet-9

See my video linked below. Cam position sensor is discussed at 3:44. This is for an S but I am sure the base is the same. Also this from the shop manual. Sorry my cut/paste destroys some of the formatting. P0011 Inlet camshaft control NOTE This error is entered if the actual value varies from the target value by between 5° und 14° of the camshaft for a duration of 2 to 5 seconds. Diagnostic conditions D Battery voltage 10 ... 16V D Time after engine starts > 30 seconds D Engine and engine oil temperature -9°C ... 106°C D Engine speed 1160 ... 6000 rpm D No solenoid hydraulic valve final stage error D No camshaft sensor or crankshaft sensor error Possible fault causes E Mechanical fault in solenoid hydraulic valve (sticks, sluggish, blocked) E Dirt in the oil circuit E Sealing strips on VarioCam adjuster faulty (leaky, sluggish) E Oil pressure too low E Mechanical fault in VarioCam adjuster

Doesn't get much more helpful than that! Thanks!!

If you have access to a Durametric or similar, you might want to gather some data on actual camshaft values versus the target and see if you can spot a pattern. As always, make sure you are getting good system voltage. Changing out the camshaft sensors is a cheap enough "ruleout". Next on the list would be the solenoid actuator, although it sounds like you tested that. Wiring on these cars should always be suspect. Hopefully your Variocam is not going bad but even that can be replaced without going too far into the engine. I would think there are some shops in KC they can maybe give you ideas on how to proceed.

BTW, my manual does not say specifically that this is on bank 1. Keep an open mind that it might be on bank 2.

Also, you mention a screen on the solenoid. On my car, which is an S, the solenoid with the screen is for the Variocam + i.e. variable inlet valve lift. The solenoid for the Variocam valve timing adjuster does not have a screen. Just saying.

Thanks for your thoughts, ideas and feedback Harvey! The solenoid and screeen I swapped in from my "spare Boxster " are these (bank 1, (passenger side in the US))

I have also noticed a definite change in the sound of the engine. For about one second, immmediately after I lift off the gas (most noticable after light throttle/load and probably because thats when the engine is quietest) theres a new sound, my best way of describing it would be like an old skate wheel with a dry and knackered bearing that your spinning with your hand. I'm hoping to get someone to ride in the car with me tonight and the Foxwell plugged in, I'm hoping I can see and graph the variocam adjustment. I'm not familiar with the way Porsche are adjusting it on liftoff to be able to put my finger on where the noise might be coming from but the fact that it's only noticable for that 1 second after lift off points my thinking to something thats being adjusted, not the waterpump, idler pulley or other bearing type noises. The other "possible" thing I thougth of was something in the intake with the vac operated flap or something?

Ok, regarding the solenoid. All my experience is with my 2007 Cayman S , which has a M97.21 engine. While I was rebuilding it, I did some extensive investigation as to how the oiling system was designed, just due to my personal interest. This resulted in a very long article and video, linked below. But the short answer is that on my engine, there are two solenoids that stick out through the valve cover. The one closer to the middle of the valve cover operates the Variocam actuator. The one closer to the end of the valve cover operates the Variocam+ valve lift mechnism. So if the ECU is throwing a code that indicates a mismatch between the required valve timing and the actual valve timing, then the one closer to the middle is the one that is dynamically controlling the valve timing. None of this means that is the culpret, but as you have already done, it is the one part in the system that you can swap in and out relatively easily, as a test. For what it's worth, the PET diagram you used shows it is for a 2008. I generally refer to one that is titled Model 987 06 Model Life 2006>2008. The PETS can be a challenge to use. You sometimes have to look carefully at the Remarks and Model column to find the specific code that applies to your car/engine. But looking at those actuators, which they unhelpfully call Throttle Control Elements, it would appear that there is nothing in the Remarks or Model, so one would gather the parts are the same for the S and the Base. Anyway, if you are hearing noises, I would start by finding the circumstances where you get the noise, which are hopefully reproducable. Then remove your serpentine belt and see if, hopefully, the noise goes away. If not, get a mechanics stethescope and see if you can isolate the noise. Noises can be maddening and misleading. All basic troubleshooting. But that code is unfortunately pointing towards a non-simple cause and solution Porsche M97 Engine Oiling System Explained My article on the Oiling System of a Porsche 944 engine has been very popular on my website. I suspect that occurs mainly because folks have a problem with their 944 oil pressure and via a Google s… newhillgarage.com This may also help.

OK, mea culpa, after reviewing my own video I see I had it backwards. You are right, the solenoid with the screen on it is for the variocam actuator for the valve timing. See my video, part 6, around the 3 minute mark. How anyone is supposed to know this is not evident to me at this time.

Update: swapped out the Bank 1 cam sensor from my Boxster into the Cayman last night. Luckily I checked the codes before just erasing them and noted that it is now reporting P0011 and a new code P0021 (Intake camshaft adjuster bank2), intersting... Cleared the codes and left off all the carpet covering the engine access panels. This morning when driving the car to work I started to notice the same intermittent hesitation as usual (after the engine/oil gets some temperature into it which I believe the system needs to see before it will operate the Variocam system). I can very clearly hear the change in engine sound I noted in an earlier post and I managed to take some terrible video of the Foxwell NT530 scanner display showing Camshaft Specified Angle, bank 1 Actual camshaft angle, bank 1 Camshaft deviation, bank 1 After showing the bank 1 values change pages to show bank 2 as well for comparison. I note that the specified and actual angle values seem to be constantly chasing each other, even under constant 0 load or under light power application, they seem to never be close. If you listen to the video around the 1 minute mark, I'm applying light throttle for a couple of seconds so I can lift off and hear that change in sound (mechanical sound quietens) after about 1 second of 0 load. I have a new AGM battery to go in tonight, still waiting on new filter to arrive so I can do my oil change ("I" do 5k changes but this is my first change on this car except when it first arrived at my house). Video showing the above recording

Tomorrow, I will try and do the same, using the graphing function on my Durametric, to try and give you a basis for comparison.

New 94R AGM battery fitted last night, no change to hesitation and sound etc.

Well sir, I think you may have a real problem. I did a diagnostic run this morning with my 2007 Cayman S , freshly rebuilt. As an aside, when I asked Brandon at SRD what a "healthy" Variocam should look like, he said the graphs of the Actual versus the Nominal should follow each other pretty closely. I take that to mean when the ECU "asks" for a Nominal value, the Variocam should respond accordingly with an Actual value. Anyway, I set up my Durametric to datalog rpm, Nominal camshaft value, Actual Camshaft Value, and Camshaft Deviation. I threw the data file into an Excel spreadsheet. The Average mathmatical difference between Nominal and Actual over an approx 2 minute drive was 0.108. The units given by the Durametric are ?CRK. I assume they represent advance of the camshaft in degrees versus the crankshaft. Just scanning through the values, the vast majority are < 1, with a few outliers, very bried in duration, headed towards 10. If I follow your video, your differences are consistantly well over 10. I would point out that if both banks are demonstrating the same values, that is a little bit puzzling. I can't envision both Variocam units going bad at the same time. So that really gets messy, as you have to work backward in the ECU architecture to identify some common failure point. Way above my knowledge level! Just a wildcard that I always recommend, which is the pull the carpet in the trunk to expose the engine wiring harness from the ECU , mounted on the interior rear side of the engine compartment. Inspect for mice damage, general insulaton degredation, or even previous hack mechanic work where the harness has been opened up to get a meter probe on some of the wires. Do the same visual inspection inside the engine compartment. Wires touching of course can lead to very strange outcomes. This is the "analog" portion of the harness. The OBD readers are probably reading CAN bus data, which is also out of my knowledge wheelhouse. BTW I don't know what the parameter Camshaft Deviation is tracking but for me, it stayed at -1.3821 for the entire session. Not helpful. I notice yours stays at a fixed value also. Maybe some who knows can explain what is going on there. Before you totally freak out, do try and rule in/rule out the source of the noise you are hearing, per my previous comments. Good luck!

Thanks again Harvey. I will definitely have a good look at the wiring around the ECU etc, I think theres a good chance I'll be spending most of Saturday getting a very good look at as much as I can. Just got the notification that my oil filter has been delivered as well so thats good. Perhaps there's some muck floating around in the oil which is affecting the solenoids or something, that could be one reason why it seems to affect both banks? More to come when I've had more time with it on the weekend. Cheers, Julian

The plot thickens....Saturday I got the car jacked up, for the oil change it was (thankfully!) due. When I removed the filter I was greeted(?) to this mess! This (was) a Mobil 1 filter I fitted when I first got the car in September! I had not ever used a Mobil 1 filter previously (usually Mann or Hengst) but when I picked up my oil (Mobil 1 5w-40) at the local walmart, they actually had some filters on the shelf. I took the sump plate off thinking I might see something sucked up into the bottom of the pickup perhaps, maybe some gasket goo or something but I couldn't see anything. No remants of anything in the oil, I cut this filter open to see if anything had clogged the filter...again...nothing. I'm bewildered. I do remember (as I'm typing this out) from previous filter inspections though that they usually have a plastic cage on the inside that I would imagine is there to try preventing this situation. I honestly don't remember if the Hengst I've just fitted has one or not. The blue ends on the Mobil filter are a ridgid plastic so I imagine they thought the ridgidy of the plastic would be enough to hold the form of the filter but this one has defintely failed. The Hengst and Mann filters from memory have ends that are like cardboard so I have to imagine the plastic cage is what is designed to hold the filter from collapsing. I'm not sure what can have caused this. Has my oil perhaps gotten too hot, softened the plastic and allowed it to collapse? (I've never seen the temp gauge go above the center mark but we all know thats a very vague gauge) Anyway, new oil (Mobil 1 5w-40) and filter in and the engine runs perfectly again! I still have the carpets out and it all sounds good too. Thanks again to @harveyf for your feedback and indepth knowledge of the oiling system in these engines. Cheers, Julian

Wow. So you replaced the filter and the noises that you have previously described hearing have gone away? I'd say go buy a lottery ticket! There is one thing I will throw out there. Jake Raby makes a fuss about the stock filter having a bypass. For a while, he has advocated going with a "full flow" spin on filter. Now I am getting into educated conjecture but one reason I have seen for any bypass on any filter is that doing very cold weather startup, the cold highly viscous oil can overload the filter. And maybe cause the damage you are seeing. This would be a question for experts with more experience than me. Interestingly, when I examine the stock filter setup, if there is a bypass, I cannot see it. But it may be incorporated into the filter itself or it may exist at the bottom of the hard plastic filter housing that you screw into the bottom of the engine. Just last week, I became worried that the threads on the hard plastic filter housing might become worn or damaged after multiple ham-fisted oil changes. My local Porsche dealer sells a complete package of paper filter, housing, and o-ring for the amazing price (for them) of $30. In your case, I would go this route, immediately, just in case you have a problem with the case. Also, you are in KC, right? Cold weather, right? I'd run it for a few days with the new filter and housing and then drop the housing for an inspection. Hopefully your filter will still be round but if it is not, then something serious is going on. Doing that inspection is well worth the 1/2 quart of oil you might loose. Yes, as you probably know, if you drop the filter housing, you do not need to drain the oil and very little oil will come out. So fingers crossed, you have identified your problem. I hate to ask but have you used your Foxwell to look at the cam deviations?

We were coming to the same conclusion at the same time...I was just writing all this out when your post came thru I have not check the came deviations but will do tonight. I will aslo order a new filter to change it again this week. Just in case. I'll also check out the spin on filter kit and yes, there's a bypass built into the bottom of the plastic cannister. Kansas City had a significant period of VERY cold weather in January. I did drive my 06 Boxster S throughout the previous couple of winters as well (except when the roads had been salted, so probably NOT on the very coldest of days as they would likely have salted the roads but honestly I can’t remember what the coldest days would have been). The Boxster though was always garaged (not temperature controlled or even well insulated but better than nothing) whereas the Cayman is in the driveway (bent Boxster is on jack stands in the garage…must sell…), I also ran 0w-40 Mobil 1 in the Boxster but have changed to 5w-40 with the Cayman as that seems to be what most are running these days. I now highly suspect that being parked out in the extreme cold has led to the oil being SUPER thick on startup which has in turn caused the filter to collapse which of course went on to restrict oil pressure enough that the variocam system wasn’t functioning properly. I am VERY lucky to have not damaged the engine (again, no glitter in the oil) I blame the idiot in the Malibu that caused my crash in the Boxster 😊.

If you are indeed this lucky, you may want to offer to let the Chiefs come by and rub your car, like a lucky rabbits foot, before they leave for Las Vegas! BTW, I personally see no need to go with a spin on filter arrangement. Also, I haven't followed it too closely but I remember some angst in that world as they were having trouble buying a good quality filter. Just get the stock setup and keep close tabs on it for awhile. I remember years ago, on my first "email" car thread, in that case Volvos, reading a post from a guy in Siberia about what they had to do to keep their cars running. It was crazy hard work to do so!